02.21.07

Newsday’s Ken Berger claims the relocation of the Kings’ Mike Bibby (above) is matter of where rather than if, while the Sacramento Bee’s Sam Amick, as you’d expect, provides a bit more detail.

. A team willing to pay for Bibby’s services ($28 million over the next two years) has no guarantee he won’t opt out after this season, and those looking for salary cap space that would come by acquiring him and Bibby opting out have no guarantee he won’t stick around. His recent play is probably a small factor, but it can’t help matters that he’s offering very little on the floor.

Cleveland remains the closest thing to a frontrunner, though a three-team situation continues to appear the most likely way. Interestingly, I was playing craps at the Palms a few days ago when I could hear a conversation between Cleveland’s Eric Snow and Chicago’s P.J. Brown, both of whom would seem to have some chance of landing in Sacramento. Snow was venting about how he’d recently lost his starting job, and Brown — who has wanted out of the Windy City for some time — was saying the trade talk had been quiet but he was sure the Bulls would pull something off when he least expected it.

The Cavs could send Snow and Drew Gooden — who I was told the Kings want — for Bibby, but obviously that deal hasn’t had legs. As for Brown, he matters only because a source told me the Bulls are interested in Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Brown makes $8 million while Abdur-Rahim makes approximately $5 million, so another piece would have to be offered from the Kings.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise’s Brad Turner claims Lakers staff don’t believe Vladimir Radmanovic’s story about falling on a patch of ice over the weekend. But really, if you were Vlad, would you really want to admit to an injury suffered while washing Jeff Kent’s truck?